♂Gay Romania > General gay tourist information about Romania

Although Romania got rid of its communist regime in December 1989, the social change is waaaay slower than the economical development.
It was only in the year 2002 that the infamous Article 200 of the Romanian Penal Code was declared unconstitutional and as such, homosexuals were no longer criminally prosecuted for having a shag with a same-sex partner.
Another 8 years later, being gay in Romania is not exactly something to be proud of in public, however in private circles and in gay venues, it stopped being an issue quite some time ago.
The majority of the population belongs to the Orthodox Church and the religious dogmas are vividly alive in the lives and minds of many old-fashioned individuals that strongly believe, that God, is some omnipresent vengeful dude watching over your shoulder when you have a fuck and that you'll certainly and eternally enjoy the free heating of Hell for shagging another guy.
Well... no comment!

For city guides (major cities in Romania) and general travel information about Romania visit also www.inyourpocket.com/romania

Here are some gay facts about Romania:
- in Romania the partnership and/or marriage between same-sex partners coming from other countries which do recognize it and validate it, is not recognized
- no official same-sex partnership is allowed
- black and white, the legal consent age for having a shag is 18, that is of course if you do not want any legal complications at all.
More nuanced, legally seen, the consent age for having sexual relationships with partners of the same sex or of the different sex, provided that the adult partner is not the tutor, curator, supervisor, doctor, educator, teacher or care taker of the minor, is 15. Having sex with minors under 15 is punished by law with incarceration between 3 and 10 years
- soliciting and practicing prostitution is illegal
- any sort of drug possession and/or consumption is illegal and without a hot-shot lawyer will end you up in jail; that does not mean that people don't do a joint or some XTC...
- poppers are amazingly... in the gray area, should it be labeled "room odorizer"
- sexual intimidation, sexual discrimination and harassment are punishable by law, but don't kid yourself, it rarely happens that some homophobic pigs will be convicted
- pedophilia is strictly forbidden and if found guilty, it is punished with incarceration
- lude actions in public places will get you arrested, hence if you are a passionate "practitioner" of cottaging, mooning or flashing... we advise you to resist temptation
- the "send me money for my sick mum" story: should you meet on the internet young men telling all sorts of stories about their sick mama or how poor they are that they can not pay their tuition fees, well, you should have some common sense: they're young and hung hence, let them find a job like the rest of the world. We strongly recommend you not to be soooo soft-hearted and encourage them to earn their cash
- kissing a guy in public or holding hands in public with a guy will attract suspicious looks and raised eyebrows or occasionally you can be "blessed" with some nasty appellatives while an old bat or an old fart makes a cross sign and spits on you.
Well, we excuse them having in mind that they're old and senile and hopefully, on their way to total Alzheimer.

Prices gay prostitutes in Romania
Like we mentioned before, practicing and soliciting prostitution in Romania is illegal, and that includes gay prostitution as well.
However, this is not something that the law enforcement actively looks for and do not imagine that at every corner there is an agent looking to bust you up. Discretion and common sense are however highly advised.
Although we are not exactly the "market's" connoisseurs, we can tell that the prices for a fuck vary between €50 and €150 per hour, depending on the escort quality, location, and travel costs.
On our site you can search the gay escorts in Romania >>

Money in Romania
Our currency is called LEU (singular - one leu) and LEI (plural - ten lei). The symbol is RON, meaning Romanian New Leu.
The exchange rate of the RON fluctuates almost daily, with several fractions of percentage.
On this page, see right >>, you can find the LIVE currency exchange rates with the latest values, set by the National Bank of Romania for today.
However, these rates are interbank rates and they are usually lower than what you get when you exchange your money.
The commercial exchange rates depend on each bank or exchange office, but they still are close to the reference points indicated by our currency convertor.
At the moment the Euro or US dollars are not accepted in shops, clubs or hotels. The plans are that somewhere around 2015, the RON will be finally replaced by the Euro.

Unlike western countries, talking about money is no taboo and do expect to encounter situations in a discussion when you will be asked how much do you earn and how are the salaries in your countries. It is nothing personal, it is simply curiosity.
Should you feel uncomfortable talking about how deep are your pockets, you can always deflect the course of the question towards another topic.

Where to exchange money in Romania?
We highly recommend that you go to the bank of your choice and execute the transaction safely.
Visit more banks if you wish and choose the best rates for the day.
Banks do not charge commission on exchange transactions with cash.
Certain private exchange offices do charge a supplementary commission on transactions with cash, which can vary, between 2 and 15%.
If you want the best out of your money, we advise you to go to a bank.
For the latest RON currency exchange rates visit XE.com or www.cursvalutar.com.ro or curs-valutar.w5.ro

Hotels and accommodation in Romania
The gay-friendly hotel concept is a very fuzzy concept in Romania; however as general guide lines 4 and 5 star hotels have instructed their staff to be respectful and behave in a proper manner, no matter what.
Small private hotels, managed and owned by a family might lack certain "fine touches" when it comes to cater to your specific needs.
That does not mean that there are no private gay-friendly hotels in Romania.
As a general rule, if you do not feel welcome or you feel that you are not treated correctly and professionally, tell the manager and be assertive.
You pay for their services and the staff must meet your requirements.

The prices in hotels are charged per room per night and not per person. Therefore when you make a booking you will have a room reserved.
It is important to specify which type of room you want; single means a room with 1 bed for 1 person, double means a room with 2 beds for 1 or 2 persons.
Often times, if you reserve a double for 1 person it is custom to pay an extra fee, named occupancy fee.
Prices at hotels in Romania vary anywhere between €20 for a 2-star hotel and up to €200 per room per night for a 5-star hotel, according to the number of stars, amenities, location, etc.

Minimum salary in Romania
The minimum legally guaranteed salary in Romania is 310 RON/month, which translates in roughly €80/month.
Obviously it is unbelievable low and much you can't do with it, but if you are looking for true life stories, you should talk to elderly people which "enjoy" a pension that sometimes can be as low as €20/month, while their necessary medication tops ten times as much.
Nowadays it is common to have a monthly salary which ranges between €300 and €500, net. This is considered to be the "standard" for the young generation.

Prices in Romania
As you will notice, the level of the prices of goods and food is identical to or higher than those in the western countries.
This comes due to the requirement imposed by the EU in the year 2004 that all our prices must be "aligned" to the western prices. Unfortunately they did not do much to help us also "align" the salaries.
As result, within the past decade, a huge discrepancy arose between income and expenses.
As reference points, fuel is priced almost identically with, for instance, in Austria, while a loaf of good quality bread may cost up to €1,20 and a kilo of good lean beef may require even €10 out of your pocket.
Electronics are almost always prices at the recommended sale price, just like in the West, hence for a PlayStation 3 you'll pay in Dec 09… yes, you guessed: €399,99.
The VAT level for general goods in Romania is 19% and it is already included in the retails price you see in the shops.
Non-EU citizens can file a tax refund form when they leave the country, provided that the have proof of purchase under the form of an invoice or receipt.

Good prices in Romania you can find when it comes to real estate and land property.
Due to the global recession, now would be a good time to buy a newly built apartment that can cost anywhere from €25.000 and €40.000.
Land, especially in the touristic areas, outside big cities, is extremely cheap, varying in price between €5 and €50 per square meter.
If you are looking to build that dream vacation house in Romania, we suggest the Carpathians mountain zone (a very large stretch, use a map and put a finger where you like), which is renowned for it beauty and purity of the air.
You can get hectares of land for a true bargain, not to mention… with truly breathtaking views.

Property regime in Romania
Private real estate properties such as houses and land can be sold to foreigners without any problems.
The transfer of property is done with a so called "sell-buy contract", meaning that one party sells and the other buys.
Selling and buying property in Romania is (almost) always done via a public notary who will charge you a small fortune to print some papers and stamp them.
If you are gay and you do have a legal partnership or you are married to a same-sex partner, your civil status is not recognized in Romania.
Until the situation is changed, we strongly advise you to create a testament which entitles your partner to your earthly possessions; otherwise it will be awarded to your biological relatives.
If no living relatives can be located, your properties will enter in the possession of the state.
All your ID papers must be translated into Romanian before you go to the notary.
We suggest you use 2 of our trusted authorized translation offices from English to Romanian, respectively
vertalingservice.com and vertaling-roemeens-nederlands.com, which also translates from Dutch to Romanian. They operate world-wide and are completely professional translation bureaus.

The time and date in Romania
The time zone in Romania is Eastern European Time, or short EET. EET is 1h+ compared to CET (Central European Time) and 2h+ compared to GMT (Standard Greenwhich Meridian Time, or also know, London time).
As such when in London it's 9 am and in Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt or Vienna it's 10.00 in the morning, in Romania is 11.00 in the morning (11 am).

Shops opening times
Most shops are open till 20.00 and the large shopping centers can be open even till 24.00, daily.
During official holidays though most of them are closed but a wide range of non-stop shops are available almost in every city.
Before holidays, such as Christmas many shopping malls, in the large cities might even be open non-stop 24/7.

Taxis in Romania
Getting form A to B in cities, by car, can be a nightmare on asphalt due to the nasty traffic jams.
There are many rent-a-car companies, including the well know such as Avis, Hertz, Europcar and so on.
Taxis are a bargain; low prices varying from 1,5 to 2,5 LEI/km translates into €0,30 to €0,50/km.
When it comes to sharks versus honest taxi drivers you must be aware of the following details;
the prices per km must be clearly visible from outside the car and the car must be visibly marked with the TAXI sign.
Asking anything above 2,5 lei/km may point to a rip-off and the best option is to keep looking for another cab, provided that the distance is greater than a kilometer or two. For small trips, it is custom to charge a flat fee, but never more than 10 or 12 lei (€2,50).

Public transportation in Romania
The public transportation in the major cities is very cheap but it can be a horrifying experience during the summer heat, when some people simply "forget" to take a shower.
The condition of the trams and buses might also be an issue if you are accustomed to fancy stuff from the west.
Pickpockets are also active in the public transportation vehicles, especially those very crowded, and we recommend that you do not flash your ½ kilo 24k gold chain or your 100k diamond ring.
Talking in a foreign language might also attract their interest and you might end up being tailed by a bunch of thieves.

Gypsies versus locals
Romania is a cultural mix of several major religions and ethnic populations. Gypsies are one of them.
For those that do have issues with gypsies, we must be frank and tell that there are gypsies and gypsies.
We'll talk here about the street gypsies.
As you will probably see for yourself, the gypsy population is not that often present on the streets of Romania since they prefer to congregate in their own villages.
However, especially during the summer, they come to town!
Although the chances are slim that you'll be "the object of their affection", you have to stay alert when a group of 2 or more women or men are close to you or they follow you closely.
Chances are that they will perform a so-called "cloaking job", where some will come in close contact with you and talk loudly pretending to "bump" accidently into you, but during this time a quick-handed one will "visit" your purse or hand bag.
Simply change direction or enter in a shop, but do avoid them.
It is common sense not to carry a load of cash with you and always leave a credit card or debit card at the hotel, with a copy of your travel documents.

Medical emergencies
The emergency number in Romania, just like in the rest of Europe, is 112, not 911!
While calling 112, the operator will ask what the nature of the situation is and, accordingly, will dispatch the Police and/or an Ambulance.
According to the law specifications, the 112 operators must speak English. However, if you have a laidback Mississippi accent or a very sharp Irish tone, you risk not getting the necessary assistance on time!
You must speak clearly and slowly, preferably without your usual/native accent.
If you have passers-by around you, give them the phone and let them talk.

Medical emergencies are always dispatched to the ER (Urgente) in the closest hospital.
A valid medical insurance is absolutely required if you do not want to end-up selling your house in order to pay the bills. All travel insurances cover emergency medical care and repatriation costs and they are accepted in Romania.
Do not forget to call your insurance company and inform them about your problems.
It is a good idea to have some form of identification with you in case the hospital needs to contact your relatives.

Post exposure Prophylaxis medication for emergency cases of exposure to HIV
If you are stupid enough (or unlucky enough, depending on the case) to have unprotected sex with an HIV positive person or to come in contact with HIV, go within 48 hours to the closest medical unit and ask for PEP medication. Take someone with you that speaks English and Romanian, to better communicate with a doctor.
PEP medication is widely available especially in hospitals, for medical staff, but it must be made available for emergency cases as well.
As soon as you return to your country contact your GP for specifics.

Phone numbers and prefixes in Romania
The country prefix is 0040.
Each city has its own prefix formed by 3 digits, except Bucharest, which has 2 digits.
A number in Bucharest looks like 021 xxx xxxx or 031 xxx xxxx.

The phone companies have numbers allocated form a national number pool.
The national land line phone company almost always has the number 2 in the prefix while the cable phone company has the number 3 in the prefix.

For instance, a number in Arad provided by the national land line company would be 0257 xxx xxx, while one provided by the TV cable phone company would be 0357 xxx xxx.

While calling from within the country you always must dial the city prefix if you wish to call in another town or city as such 0257 xxx xxx.
While dialing from another country you must dial the country prefix and the city prefix, skipping one 0, as such: 0040257 xxx xxx and not 00400257 xxx xxx.
For Bucharest that would be 004021 xxx xxxx or 004031 xxx xxxx and not 0040021 xxx xxxx or 0040031 xxx xxxx.

All mobile numbers in Romania start with 07, for instance 0745 xxx xxx or 0721 xxx xxx.
There are four major mobile operators in Romania:
Orange (known as T-Mobile in other countries) and Vodafone, which operate in the GSM norm 800-900Mhz,
Cosmote, which operates in the GSM norm 1800-1900Mhz and
Zapp Mobile wich operates in the CDMA (non-gsm) 450-500Mhz norm.
The Gsm mobile phones need SIM card and are not compatible with the CDMA norm and vice-versa, but they can call each other.

The so-called green numbers are the free numbers and they always start with 0800 (0800 1333).
Premium paid service numbers belong to the 0900 pool (0977 7878).

How to dial a phone number while using your own cellular in Romania?
If you are in roaming you dial the full number 004021 123 4567 (or 0040723 123 456 to call mobile numbers) to call locally in Romania.
To call in your own country you dial the regular phone number, as you have it stored in your phone book, without your country prefix.

Related articles: English home page / Gay destinations to visit in Romania / Gay dating in Romania / Addresses gay clubs and gay bars in Romania / Practical gay tourist information about Romania / Getting to Romania - flight information